How can I transform my outdoor space into the ideal garden? It’s a question every homeowner with a penchant for fresh air and a touch of nature labours over at some time in their lives. the problem is, there’s so much you can do now with your outside space, so many different garden styles, that it’s hard to know where to start. If you are at that point, then here’s a few things to consider.

What would you like from your garden design?

It’s always good to have an ideal, even if you don’t think it will work in the space that you have. Try to imagine what it is you would really like if you didn’t have any restrictions at all.

What do you need from your garden design?

When you are looking for the ideal garden, it’s really a symbiotic relationship between you and your outdoor space. What are you going to do in it. How are you going to use it? This will often dictate style and design.

What don’t you like about the current garden space?

Things are going to change to a certain extent. The space will remain the same, but the way we use it can be transformed. So it’s good to know exactly what it is you don’t like about it. Write it all down. Even if it’s..’this space is too small’. Obvious, but important.

What garden style suits my home?

Now we aren’t all blessed with artistic flair, but that’s no reason not to put pen to paper and sketch a few ideas as we wander around our gardens. There’s often a lot going on in our outdoor spaces. Especially if we’ve yet to spend time in them. So walk around and just let your imagination go. Do this a few times to really get an idea of what you’d like and think about whether your hopes and ideas work with the style of your home.

Work out the practicalities

Once you’ve had time to muse over the ideal and really reflect on the space, it’s time to get practical. If you aren’t green fingered, then you need low maintenance options. It takes time to upkeep a garden. It also takes cash, so you need to think about your budget. And then there’s where things will go: bins and washing lines for example; that water feature you so desire: space for your animals maybe to rome around in; and that vegetable patch you had your heart set on.

Choosing a garden is a big decision. It’s not something you do every year. And if I would have one word of advice for a new client it would be that not every style will suit you. It’s a bit like choosing clothes in that sense. We may admire a dress or a suit that we see someone wearing, but we know it’s not going to look quite as good on us. These are all things we can help you with.